Coast Guard conducts multi-agency search for man overboard in Pacific

HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating a multi-agency long-range search for a 55-year-old mariner reported overboard near the Republic of Palau, Wednesday.

Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a forwarded Inmarsat-C phone distress call from Rescue Coordination Center Australia regarding a crewmember who was reported overboard off the motor vessel Taipower Prosperity II in the Philippine Sea near the Republic of Palau.

JRCC Honolulu forwarded the information to watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Guam who began searching for assets in the region available to assist in the search.

The missing mariner is reportedly the master of the ship. He was last seen Wednesday. After a thorough search of all spaces aboard the ship the master was not located and the ship made a 180 degree turn on its course tracking to begin the search.

Assets involved in the search are the Taipower Prosperity II, The Pacific Patrol Boat Remeliik from the Republic of Palau and the AMVER vessel Ocean Symphony. Aerial searches have been conducted by an Australian P-3 Orion airplane, and a U.S. Navy CTF-72 P-3 and an SH-60 helicopter crew attached to the USS Preble.

A HC-130 Hercules airplane was launched from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point Wednesday and is currently en route to the region.

Coast Guard Sector Guam regularly coordinates with DoD, commercial vessels that are part of the AMVER program and international partners to conduct searches in the Pacific where extreme distances often limit the resources immediately available to respond. The 14th Coast Guard District area of responsibility encompasses more than 12.2 million square miles of the Central and South Pacific.